Subcontractors of Guilt: Holocaust Memory and Muslim Belonging in Postwar Germany

Drawing from her book Subcontractors of Guilt, Esra Özyürek examines how Muslims in Germany seem to be increasingly expected to adopt Holocaust memory as a moral obligation — not despite, but because of their perceived difference. Far from offering a path to inclusion, this expectation often reinscribes exclusion, casting Muslims as moral outsiders and suspected antisemites. 

Bringing a complementary and critical perspective, Alice von Bieberstein explores how memory politics in Germany are deeply shaped by transnational entanglements — particularly with Turkey — and how migrant communities navigate overlapping histories of violence, denial, and marginalization. Drawing on her own work on the Armenian genocide and postmigrant remembrance, she highlights the ways in which state-sponsored memory regimes can reinforce both German and foreign nationalisms, often sidelining the voices and struggles of those living between. 

Taking place outside of the university setting, this event invites a broader public to engage with urgent questions of memory, belonging, and responsibility. The evening consists of a moderated conversation, followed by an open Q&A, encouraging active dialogue between speakers and audience.